Challenger
Moller finishes Challenger season with Maia triumph
Former University of South Carolina standout Samuel wins back-to-back titles
December 01, 2025
Beatriz Ruivo/FPT
Elmer Moller is crowned champion at the Maia Open.
By ATP Staff
Denmark’s Elmer Moller capped the 2025 ATP Challenger Tour season on a high note Sunday when he claimed his third title of the season.
The 22-year-old won the Maia Open, where he ousted Slovakian Andrej Martin 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Following his title run, Moller is up to No. 121 in the PIF ATP Rankings, drawing him closer to his Top 100 debut.
“It’s incredible. I was actually not sure a month and a half ago if I was going to play anymore this year,” Moller said in his post-match press conference. “It was good for me to take a break from playing tournaments, practising and staying at home. I feel like I came here with new energy that had been missing for a while. I’m happy I did that for myself. It paid off in the end.”
This was not the first time Moller triumphed in Portugal this year. He also won the Oeiras Challenger in April. His second Challenger title of the season came in July in Iasi, Romania. All four of Moller’s career Challenger crowns have come on clay.
Samuel secures back-to-back titles
Briton Toby Samuel finished his season in dominant fashion. The former University of South Carolina star, who graduated in 2024, won back-to-back Challenger titles, with his most recent victory coming at the Manama Challenger in Bahrain. He raced past Ilia Simakin 6-0, 6-2 in a 48-minute final.
Samuel, 23, did not drop a set all week in Manama and is now at a career-high No. 267 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The week before, Samuel was crowned champion in Soma Bay, Egypt. He also won an ITF M15 title in Sharm ElSheikh in early November.
Gomez wins first Challenger title of season in final week
Federico Agustin Gomez secured his first Challenger title of 2025 and fourth overall with his triumph at the Challenger Dove Men+Care Temuco in Chile. The Argentine defeated Lautaro Midon 6-4, 6-1 in the championship match to win his first hard-court title.
Federico Agustin Gomez wins the Temuco Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/12/01/14/58/gomez-temucoch-2025.jpg”>
Federico Agustin Gomez wins the Temuco Challenger. Credit: Legión Sudamericana
Mejia triumphs on home soil in Bogota
Colombia’s Nicolas Mejia triumphed on home soil at the Challenger Seguros del Estado in the capital city Bogota. A three-time Challenger champion, Mejia’s victory marked his first on Colombian soil. In an all-Colombian final, the 25-year-old downed countryman Juan Sebastian Gomez 6-4, 6-4.
Hijikata wins Playford Challenger for third time
Rinky Hijikata successfully defended his title at the City of Playford Tennis International, where he also triumphed in 2022. All four of Hijikata’s Challenger trophies have come on Australian soil. The 24-year-old, who played college tennis at the University of North Carolina, overcame fellow Aussie Dane Sweeny 6-0, 6-7(8), 6-4 in the final.
Rinky Hijikata in action at the Playford Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/12/01/15/04/hijikata-playfordch-2025.jpg”>
Rinky Hijikata in action at the Playford Challenger. Credit: Mark Willoughby/Aussie Photo Media
Clarke wins Pakistan’s first Challenger tournament
Briton Jay Clarke went one step further than last week’s runner-up finish in Soma Bay with a title run in Islamabad, Pakistan, which became the 97th country to host a Challenger event. Clarke, 27, beat Turkey’s Mert Alkaya 6-3, 6-1 in the final.
Geerts wins maiden Challenger crown in Greece
Michael Geerts won the I.T.C. Athens Challenger, which was directed by Apostolos Tsitsipas, the father and coach of ATP Tour star Stefanos Tsitsipas. Geerts defeated the top two seeds, Sandro Kopp and Arthur Fery, respectively, in his final two matches of the week. The 30-year-old outlasted Fery 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in a hard-fought final to claim his maiden Challenger crown. Geerts also won the Athens doubles title alongside Alberto Barroso Campos.
Geerts takes it all in Athens 😎
The Belgian follows up yesterday’s doubles triumph with a hard-fought three-set victory over Fery to complete the full title sweep! #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/iChZ7IUoiT
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 30, 2025
